All talk and no bite? CAG Report says UP cops are terribly ill-equipped to function

The Comptroller and Auditor General has painted a grim picture regarding the functioning of the Uttar Pradesh police.

The Comptroller and Auditor General has painted a grim picture regarding the functioning of the Uttar Pradesh police&nbsp | &nbspPhoto Credit:&nbspIndiatimes, Representative Image

Allahabad: The Comptroller and Auditor General has painted a grim picture regarding the functioning of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) police: the unit has been managing with "less than 50 per cent of the sanctioned manpower", "obsolete weapons" and "outdated communication technologies".

The CAG report also noted that the forensic science labs were unable to work through the increased requests for examination of samples as they were extremely ill-equipped.

The report pointed out "the state still has only about 50 per cent of the police stations against the required number" and there is "an acute shortage of residential and other than residential accommodation for police personnel", while projects are "inordinately delayed by construction agencies".

"Mobility of the police force for patrolling and other purposes is severely constrained due to the acute shortage of vehicles and obsolescence of its fleet," it said, according to PTI.

The traffic police also lack the necessary manpower to handle the increase in traffic and length of road networks.

Titled 'Performance Audit of Modernisation and Strengthening of Police Forces', the reports said "48 per cent of the police force" use .303 rifles, which have been "declared obsolete by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) more than 20 years ago".

The report stated shortage of more than five lakh "9 mm ball ammunition", used in automatic pistols and carbines and said it was "having an impact on training and providing security to VIPs".

(With inputs from PTI)

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